Weekly World News
An American tabloid brand known for black-and-white supernatural, paranormal, satirical, and sensational news stories.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Weekly World News is an American tabloid publication and entertainment brand whose identity was built around extraordinary stories presented in the visual and rhetorical style of conventional news reporting. Founded in 1979 by Generoso Pope Jr., it initially served a practical publishing purpose: its sister publication, the National Enquirer, had moved from black-and-white production to color, leaving printing capacity that could be used for a new newspaper. Weekly World News consequently developed a distinctive all-black-and-white format that separated it from most supermarket tabloids and eventually became one of its most recognizable design features. The publication was printed in Florida, first in Lantana and later, from the late 1990s, in Boca Raton. Its editorial formula combined strange-but-true reports, exaggerated human-interest stories, paranormal claims, fabricated interviews, satire, celebrity rumors, advice columns, puzzles, cartoons, and recurring fictional or quasi-fictional characters. Common subjects included alien encounters, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, time travel, apocalyptic predictions, religious relics, living-dead celebrities, unexplained animals, future disasters, and alleged government or military secrets. The paper generally wrote these stories in a straight news style, using conventional leads, quotations, and dramatic headlines. This ambiguity allowed some readers to approach the material as humor while others treated at least parts of it as credible. The brand's most famous recurring character is Bat Boy, a half-human, half-bat figure reportedly discovered in a West Virginia cave in 1992. Bat Boy became the centerpiece of numerous increasingly implausible stories involving law enforcement, terrorism, politics, Saddam Hussein, Santa Claus, and outer space. Other recurring figures and features included the extraterrestrial P'lod, the angry opinion columnist Ed Anger, psychic and advice columns, the Page 5 Honey model feature, and recurring "ALIVE!" stories about supposedly resurrected people or creatures. The publication also used games, quizzes, comic strips, and visual puzzles to broaden its appeal beyond headline stories. At its height in the 2000s, Weekly World News reportedly reached circulation of approximately 1.2 million copies per issue. It remained committed to supernatural and sensational subject matter even as competing supermarket tabloids increasingly emphasized celebrity gossip, health, and miracle cures. In May 2005, the newspaper introduced a substantially revised format with new departments, advice features, horoscopes, humor, and a Sergio Aragonés picture-search feature. Print publication ended in August 2007. The brand was relaunched online in 2009 and operated as an internet and social-media publication for several years. It was relaunched again in 2019 by senior editor Greg D'Alessandro with investor David Collins. D'Alessandro had also served as editor-in-chief from August 2019, following Neil McGinness's editorial leadership from 2009 to 2018. In July 2021, Weekly World News announced the creation of Weekly World News Studios, intended to develop entertainment projects based on the publication's archive, characters, and mythology. The brand has stated that its library contains more than 110,000 articles and over 300 original characters, positioning it not only as a former newspaper but also as an intellectual-property and entertainment platform.
History
Generoso Pope Jr. launched Weekly World News in 1979 as a companion to the National Enquirer. The immediate business rationale was to use black-and-white printing capacity that became available when the National Enquirer adopted color production. From its Florida base, the new publication established a deliberately unusual identity: unlike most competing supermarket tabloids, it was printed entirely in black and white and emphasized bizarre, paranormal, and sensational subjects rather than conventional celebrity coverage. The publication's editorial method mixed reporting, fabrication, satire, and visual theater. Staff members clipped unusual incidents from newspapers around the world and converted them into dramatic tabloid stories. Some articles were based on verifiable events, while others were invented or heavily embellished. The writing typically imitated conventional journalism, with a sharp lead, a narrative explanation, and a memorable quotation. This straight-faced presentation created a productive ambiguity: readers could regard a story as plausible, comic, or both. The paper generally did not explicitly disclaim its fictional material until 2004, when it began telling readers to suspend disbelief for entertainment. Eddie Clontz was a major figure in the publication's development and served as its long-term editor. During the 1980s and 1990s, Weekly World News developed a stable set of editorial conventions and recurring features, including opinion, advice, psychic, medical, business, and humor columns. Ed Anger, an aggressively opinionated fictional conservative columnist, became one of the best-known voices associated with the brand. The paper also published puzzles, celebrity-identification games, quizzes, cartoons, and recurring photographic features. Weekly World News became especially associated with supernatural and cryptozoological themes. Its stories repeatedly returned to Elvis Presley sightings, alien abductions, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, time travel, Biblical relics, portals to Hell, resurrected historical figures, future economic collapse, and predictions of disaster. Bat Boy, introduced in 1992 as a cave-dwelling half-bat, half-boy creature, became the most enduring character in the brand's mythology. The character's adventures expanded across politics, crime, war, popular culture, and space travel. Other recurring creations included the extraterrestrial P'lod and several comic and feature characters. The paper moved from Lantana to Boca Raton in the late 1990s. Its circulation peaked at roughly 1.2 million copies per issue during the 2000s, when the publication occupied a distinctive niche among supermarket tabloids. It continued to focus on paranormal and sensational stories even as other tabloids shifted toward celebrity gossip, health reporting, and miracle cures. The paper's willingness to preserve its unusual editorial identity helped make its black-and-white covers recognizable in American popular culture, although its approach also generated controversy. In February 1989, it printed graphic photographs of Ted Bundy's post-autopsy body, leading to an investigation and charges against a medical-examiner employee accused of obtaining and selling the images. In May 2005, the newspaper introduced an expanded and revised format. Changes included new advice and horoscope arrangements, a Sergio Aragonés visual-search feature, humor, trivia, tests, and additional comic material. Print publication ended in August 2007. The brand returned online in 2009 and maintained a digital and social-media presence. Neil McGinness served as editor-in-chief from 2009 through 2018. In 2019, the publication was relaunched with senior editor Greg D'Alessandro and investor David Collins involved; D'Alessandro became editor-in-chief in August of that year. The post-print strategy increasingly treated Weekly World News as an entertainment property rather than solely as a newspaper. Its archive reportedly contains more than 110,000 articles and over 300 original characters. In July 2021, the brand announced Weekly World News Studios, an initiative intended to develop and produce entertainment projects based on its characters and fictional universe. The brand therefore continues as a digital, cultural, and intellectual-property platform built around the same mixture of sensational headlines, parody, supernatural fiction, and tabloid visual language that defined its print era.
- 2021
Weekly World News Studios is announced
[1]The brand announces a studio operation intended to develop entertainment projects from its characters and archive.
- 2019
Second modern relaunch
[1]The brand is relaunched with Greg D'Alessandro and investor David Collins involved.
- 2009
Digital relaunch
[1]Weekly World News returns as an online and social-media publication.
- 2007
Print publication ends
[1]The newspaper ceases print publication in August.
- 2005
An expanded format is introduced
[1]A May 2005 redesign adds or changes advice, horoscope, humor, puzzle, and comic features.
- 2004
The publication begins an explicit suspension-of-disbelief notice
[1]The brand begins acknowledging the entertainment dimension of its stories by asking readers to suspend disbelief.
- 1992
Bat Boy debuts
[1]The recurring Bat Boy character is introduced in a story about a creature discovered in a West Virginia cave.
- 1990
Publication relocates to Boca Raton
[1]The newspaper moves from Lantana to Boca Raton during the late 1990s.
- 1989
Ted Bundy autopsy photographs appear on the cover
[1]The tabloid publishes graphic photographs of Ted Bundy's post-autopsy body, triggering an official investigation into their source.
- 1979
Weekly World News is founded
[1]Generoso Pope Jr. launches the publication to use black-and-white printing capacity associated with the National Enquirer's former production format.
Products and positioning
A sensational, visually distinctive tabloid and pop-culture entertainment brand positioned between supermarket journalism, parody, speculative fiction, and experiential humor. Its editorial voice presents extraordinary claims with the structure and tone of news while encouraging readers to enjoy uncertainty, exaggeration, and disbelief.
Newspaper · 1979
Weekly World News print tabloid
The original weekly newspaper was printed entirely in black and white and combined sensational headlines, paranormal reports, fabricated or satirical stories, advice columns, puzzles, games, celebrity material, and recurring characters. Its covers became especially recognizable for presenting impossible or supernatural claims with the visual authority of tabloid journalism.
Fictional character and editorial franchise · 1992
Bat Boy
Bat Boy is the brand's signature character: a half-bat, half-human figure first reported as having been found in a West Virginia cave. Subsequent stories placed him in political, military, criminal, holiday, and space-related situations. The character also appeared in comic strips and inspired the off-Broadway musical Bat Boy: The Musical.
Digital media · 2009
Weekly World News digital publication
The online edition extended the brand after the end of print publication, using web and social-media channels for sensational, paranormal, satirical, and entertainment-oriented stories. The digital operation supported later attempts to position the property as a broader entertainment and intellectual-property brand.
Entertainment development · 2021
Weekly World News Studios
Announced in 2021, Weekly World News Studios was designed to develop and produce entertainment projects based on the publication's extensive article archive, original characters, and recurring fictional mythology.
Comic strip · 2004
Bat Boy comic strip
A comic adaptation of Bat Boy ran alongside the tabloid's feature stories. Peter Bagge produced a notable version during 2004 and 2005, using celebrities and current events as raw material for deliberately absurd plots; the strips were later collected by IDW Publishing.
Controversies
1989
Publication of Ted Bundy autopsy photographs
Weekly World News printed graphic photographs taken after Ted Bundy's execution. The publication defended the decision as potentially deterrent to murder, while Florida officials investigated the unauthorized release. A medical-examiner employee was charged with obtaining and selling the photographs.
Brand decisions
2021
Expand into entertainment developmentStrategyBackground
The brand's archive and large roster of original characters offered material for projects beyond journalism and digital articles.
Action taken
Weekly World News announced Weekly World News Studios to develop and produce entertainment projects based on the property.
Aftermath
The announcement reinforced the brand's position as a character and intellectual-property platform as well as a media publication.
2009
Move the brand onlineStrategyBackground
The end of print created a need to preserve the publication's audience, characters, and editorial identity through digital channels.
Action taken
The brand was relaunched as an online and social-media publication.
Aftermath
The digital presence provided a platform for a later 2019 relaunch and the 2021 studio initiative.
2007
End print publicationStrategyBackground
After almost three decades as a supermarket tabloid, the brand discontinued its physical newspaper.
Action taken
Weekly World News stopped publishing in print in August 2007.
Aftermath
The brand later returned through online and social-media publishing.
2005
Introduce an expanded newspaper formatOtherBackground
The publication sought to refresh its print product while retaining its distinctive sensational and humorous identity.
Action taken
In May 2005, it introduced new or revised advice, horoscope, humor, puzzle, test, and comic features, including a Sergio Aragonés visual-search feature.
Aftermath
The revised format remained part of the print-era product before publication ended in 2007.
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